


On Top of the World

by angstkingsfanfic



Category: Haikyuu!!, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angry Yuri Plisetsky, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Post-Break Up, Protective Sugawara Koushi, Protective Victor Nikiforov, Romantic Fluff, Starting Over, Supportive Victor Nikiforov, Team Dad Sawamura Daichi, Yuri Plisetsky is a Brat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstkingsfanfic/pseuds/angstkingsfanfic
Summary: y/n Nikiforov is a world champion ice skater. When her long term boyfriend Yuri Plisetsky dumps her, and she moves to Japan, it creates the perfect storm for her to meet her biggest fan, Sugawara Koshi.
Relationships: Sugawara Koushi/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	On Top of the World

You couldn’t find your boyfriend anywhere. You had just finished watching your older brother Viktor skate, and you two wanted to leave. You could feel your stomach grumbling. You all had been at the rink for hours, and you needed to get dinner. Yakov was getting pissed, and frankly, so were you. Yuri had been grumbling stuff to you about the Japanese Yuri all through his performance and you were worried he was going to get himself in trouble. He was nicknamed the Russian Punk for a reason, after all. “Yuri! Where are you, damnit?!” You yelled down the hallway. You weren’t afraid to make a scene. 

He didn’t hear you hollering, but you sure as hell heard him. “Hey! I’ll be competing in the senior division next year. Maybe it’s time for you to retire. I don’t think we need to Yuris in the same bracket. LOSER!”

Your eyes went wide, and without thinking, your feet started to carry you toward the men’s bathroom. You were sure he was yelling at Yuri Katsuki. There was no reason to; the poor guy already was humiliated on the ice. Your Yuri just hated that they had the same name, but that’s not a reason to scare the black-haired skater out of his wits. “YURI PLISETSKY!” You yelled as you slammed open the bathroom door. 

The raven-haired skater sweatdropped. “Y/n Nikiforov, holy crap!”

You smiled warmly at Yuri Katsuki while your boyfriend glared at you. You knew the truth, though. He thought you were scary when you were mad; he just wouldn’t let his mask drop in front of another skater. You started to march toward him. “You can’t just come in here!” He shouted.

You rolled your eyes at him, “I can when you’re an ass to other skaters!” You grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and started dragging him toward the door. He yelled and failed his arms, but was unable to get out of your grasp. “Sorry about him! He’s not as mean as he looks. Keep skating if you want to Katsuki. You have a lot of potential!”

“Oh, ah, thank you! Means a lot!” Katsuki said as you left the bathroom with your boyfriend trailing behind you. You finally let go of his jacket collar when the door shut. You looked at him with your arms crossed over your chest.

“Why did you have to be so mean to him? He seems like a sweet guy, there's no reason to treat him like that!” you scolded. It was Yuri’s turn to roll his eyes. 

“I don’t want him competing in the same bracket as me! People will mix us up and compare us because we have the same name!”

“You’re unbelievable, Yuri! Just because you have the same name doesn't give you the right to bully him,” you walked past him. Thoroughly done with this conversation, “Come on. Viktor and Yakov are waiting for us. If we hurry, we can get something to eat before catching our flight back to Russia.”

Yuri followed you in silence. When you two first started dating, it was a lot of silence like this, but for a different reason. When you first started dating about two years before this moment, there were many shared silences because Yuri is an awkward, socially stunted person. However, you managed to pull him out of his shell. You two became joint at the hip, and he started putting more emotion into his performances, and so did you. Viktor always teased you about “young love,” and Yakov got pissed at you because you were constantly watching each other skate when you were supposed to be working. It was a beautiful time. Now you shared silences because you were almost always mad at each other. You weren’t sure what changed. Maybe it was the fact that you were older and more mature than him, or perhaps his personality was starting to shine through more as he reached his middle teen years, but the fact of the matter was that you two had grown apart a lot. In your online presence and your interviews, you pretended to be happy in your relationship, but you weren’t. You thought many times about asking Yuri to be just friends, but you couldn’t go through with it. Part of you still loved him. 

You were pulled from your thoughts when Viktor called out to you. “Ah! There you two are. We were starting to get worried.”

You plastered a smile on your face to try to hide your frustration from all the cameras, but Yuri had other plans. His face held a sour expression and by his body language, it wasn’t hard to tell that he was mad at you. 

People may think Viktor is airheaded, but you knew that wasn’t the truth. He was incredibly perceptive. His eyes narrowed at the sight, one that he had seen so many times before. “Let’s get going you three. If you idiots keep standing around staring at each other we won’t make our flight home,” Yakov scolded. Your shoulders felt heavy as Viktor handed you your duffle bag. You had performed much earlier on in the day, so you were both emotionally and physically exhausted. This was your first competing at the adult level. Between that and Yuri’s shenanigans, you were done for the day. Viktor started a conversation between him and the younger skater. “Yuri. I think you did well tonight, but your step sequence could use a bit more finesse.” 

“I won didn’t I? so who really cares? Quit nagging me already,” Yuri shot back.

“Shut it!” Yakov started yelling at Yuri. You focused your attention around the room. There were so many skaters, so many talented people. Even though you won gold for your division, you still felt a bit insecure. How could you ever live up to the standards that your older brother had set?

You made eye contact with Yuri Katsuki. You shot him a small smile and sent him a wave. Viktor followed your line of sight and also peered over to the Japanese skater. “You want to get a photo?” Viktor asked the skater. 

“Yeah! I’ll take one with you too!” The broad smile on your face was genuine. You would happily take a photo with anyone who wanted one, even though you knew it would piss off your boyfriend. 

To your surprise, Yuri Katsuki said nothing and continued his walk toward the exit door. “Huh? That was weird,” Viktor mused.

You huffed, “Probably was too scared to come over here because of the Russian Punk.”

“Not my fault he’s scared of me!”

“Yes, it is!”

《\/》/\《\/》

“Tadeka! Can you believe y/n’s performance last night! She’s had an unbelievable debut season. I wish I could have been there in person. It would have been amazing to see!” Suga gushed as he entered the gym. Tadeka was just inside the door, standing with coach Ukai and Kiyoko. 

“She was absolutely amazing! And Viktor too. He never stops stunning me with his performances. I don’t think he’ll ever stop. He’s just so talented!” Tadeka gushed.

“That’s the Nikiforovs for you. Absolutely incredible ice skaters! Russia seems to have some amazing people in both sections. Yuri Plisetsky won gold for the Junior Grand Prix Finale last night.” Suga continued. Everyone was used to this. Any time there was a figure skating competition or special airing, the next day would be filled with this type of bubbly chatter.

“Oh yeah, I heard the Russian Punk caused some trouble after the competition though. He and y/n got into a fight of sorts.” Tadeka replied. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. Everyone in the volleyball club knew how Sugawara felt about y/n Nikiforov.

“What happened?” He asked. He appeared to be calm, but the tone of his voice sent chills down the first and second years’ spines. 

“He ah… He was yelling at Yuri Katsuki in the men’s bathroom and y/n went to Katsuki’s rescue. They yelled at each other a bit in the hallway before rejoining their coach and Viktor. It’s all in this article.” Tadeka handed over his phone. Sugawara quickly snatched it and began reading allowed.

“Trouble in Paradise?: Grand Prix Finale Gold Medalists Yuri Plisetsky and y/n Nikiforov Seen Fighting… Again.” The title of the article made Suga’s blood boil. “Nikiforov and Plisetsky have been friends since childhood, having both been training under Coach Yakov since then. The two have been extremely close for the last few years, though they only officially announced their relationship about 10 months ago. At first, it seemed that nothing could break the young couple apart, but it seems the honeymoon phase has come to an end. They have been seen arguing in public multiple times in the last six months and Nikiforov no longer reaches for Plisetsky’s hand while watching other competitors skate. Things seem to have stepped up a notch last night, Plisetsky could be heard screaming at Yuri Katsuki in the men’s bathroom. Not afraid to bend the norm, Nikiforov came to Katsuki’s rescue and dragged her boyfriend out of the bathroom while profusely apologizing to Katsuki. Nikiforov confronted Plisetsky about the incident which resulted in the two yelling at each other. It died down for a bit, but they were seen several minutes later arguing again outside of the performance hall. y/n’s older brother Viktor told him off and shut down the argument, but things aren’t looking good for the young couple. y/n was seen crying as she and her older brother entered a separate cab from the one Plisetsky and Coach Yakov took. Could this be the end for figure skating’s ultimate power couple?” By the time Sugawara finished reading the article, he was fuming. He didn’t have a problem with y/n and Yuri Plisetsky dating, he only began to have an issue when they started fighting. In his eyes, y/n was the prettiest girl in the world. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone making her cry. 

Daichi took the phone out of Suga’s hands. “Deep breath Suga. Whatever happens from here will work out. You know she has a good older brother looking out for her.”

Suga sighed. The tension in his shoulders relaxing. “I know. She’s just so talented and she seems so sweet in her interviews, I just can’t… I can’t imagine making her cry and not feeling bad about it in some way. Plisetsky just makes me so mad! Doesn’t he realize how lucky he is?”

“Probably not Suga, they’ve been friends since childhood. He probably hasn’t thought about what life would be like without her.”

“I hope… I hope they work out whatever is going on soon. It’s sad to see articles like this.”

“I do too. We all of our players focused on volleyball, not on skating,” the captain scolded lightly.

“Sorry, Daichi…”

“It’s alright. Let’s start practice!”

《\/》/\《\/》

“Viktor?” You asked. You were sitting in the comfy chair next to the couch. Your brother was lying on said couch with Makkachin draped over his middle. 

“What is it marshmallow?” He replied. You almost smiled at the old nickname. He had called you that since you were a kid.

“What will happen if Yuri and I break up?” You curled your head into your knees, hiding your face. Your arms were wrapped around your legs, pulling them as close as possible to you. You wanted to hide as much as you could from Viktor after asking that sort of question.

You could hear him shift his weight. Makkachin came toward you, shoving his face through your fortress of limbs until he forced them apart. He was a very observant dog, he could feel your sadness. He jumped up into your lap and you pulled him into your chest, burying your face in his fur. “What do you mean y/n?”

Makkachin’s fur muffled the sound of your voice, but Viktor could still understand you. “Yuri’s a popular skater… What if everyone hates me if we break up? What if he never wants to see me again? What if a bunch of fangirls come after me online? I don’t know if I could handle-”

“Easy y/n.” Viktor stops you short. He can tell your mind is spinning and spiraling downward. “Where is all this coming from?”

“I know you know that Yuri and I have been having some problems.”

“Yes, I do. It became especially clear around the Grand Prix Finale.”

“I… I just don’t know what to do. I feel like if we break up everyone is going to hate me or him. I want to be friends, I don’t want him to receive anything bad because of me. I’m so stressed out with all the publicity after we both won gold and people calling us a power couple that I just want to throw my phone in a river.”

“Gimme your phone Marshmellow. You can watch or play whatever you want on your PlayStation, but leave your phone with me. That way you can relax and not think about any of this. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. Whatever you and Yuri decide to do with your relationship will work out, but for now, you need to rest. You competed hard yesterday and I can tell you’re still exhausted.” Viktor had his hand sticking out toward you. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“Alright.” You set Makkachin back on the floor and handed Viktor your phone. He set it on the coffee table to his side. 

“Go watch something. Curl up with your favorite blanket and take Makkachin with you. He’s good when you need comfort.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course! I’ll see you later y/n.”

You smiled warmly at your older brother. “Okay. See you later Viktor.”

《\/》/\《\/》

You honestly weren’t mad about your current situation. Your brother Viktor saw a video of Yuri Katsuki skating one of his old routines and it inspired Viktor to coach him. That’s how you ended up here, in a beautiful hot springs inn own by Yuri’s parents. You had been living with Viktor pretty much since the day he moved out of your parents’ house. He was your legal guardian so of course, you followed him to Japan. It was a nice change of pace though. You were enjoying yourself and your free time away from Yakov’s screaming. Viktor promised to coach you as well, so you were set in every aspect of the word. “Can I get you anything y/n?” Yuri’s mom asked. 

You shook your head. “No, thank you though Mrs. Katsuki.”

“It’s no problem dear. Please let me know if you need anything at all.”

“AHHHH!” You and Mrs. Katsuki turned toward the loud screech. It was Yuri staring directly at you. He was shaking and the shove he had in his hand found it’s way to the floor. Makkachin, who had been laying next to you on the floor, perked his head up and whined curiously. 

“Hiya Yuri!” You said happily. “By your reaction, I guess you’re surprised to see me.”

“y/n… y/n Nikiforov! What are you doing here?!” Yuri questioned. There were a million reasons flying through his head.

“I feel like my brother should tell you that. He’s currently in the hot springs.” With that, Yuri’s eyes went wide and he ran off in the direction of the springs. You giggled and looked towards his mom. “He sure is excitable, isn’t he?”

“Oh yes. Yuri is always excited when something involves Viktor. I would say he’s Viktor’s biggest fan.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. My brother’s fans are always the nicest people. I haven’t really met too many people who were specifically a fan of mine. Most people use me as a stepping stone to talk to Viktor or Yuri Plisetsky.” You vented. “Sorry! That was probably too much information.”

“It’s not a problem at all. Don’t worry dear, I’m sure you have some real fans out there. Who knows, you might some while you’re here in Japan!”

You smiled. “That… would be lovely.”

《\/》/\《\/》

“Where is he?! Why isn’t he answering his cell?!” A woman burst through the door yelling. You were talking to Mrs. Katsuki while your brother was asleep in the other room.

“You seem, upset dear, is something wrong?” Yuri’s mom asked calmly. 

“The world is going insane. There’s a rumor going around that Viktor is going to be Yuri’s coach!”

“Wow seems like everyone around here is excitable!” You said with a laugh. The woman’s wide-eyed stare turned to you. “It’s not a rumor, it’s the truth. Viktor and I are here because he’s going to be coaching Yuri and me for next season’s competition.”

“Just look at him. He’s sleeping soundly as a baby,” Mrs. Katsuki said as you all peaked your heads into the room. Yuri watched as Viktor slept, still in shock that you two were really here. 

“Yeah, my brother can sleep just about anywhere and through pretty much anything. One time Yakov couldn’t find Viktor anywhere before a competition. We ended up finding him asleep against a wall in a changing room. It took me, Yavok, and Yuri to wake him up!”

“Yuri! Why is he passed out on the floor in one of the inn’s robes?!” The woman scolded. 

“It’s not Yuri’s fault! Like I said he can fall asleep pretty much anywhere.”

“This is all over the news Russia. Viktor was so inspired by your performance in that video that he decided to become your coach. He chose you to be his protege, do you know how incredible that is Yuri?!” The woman continued. She then turned her attention to you. “And it’s also everywhere that you ended your coaching relationship with Yakov in favor of having your brother train you here.”

Your sweat dropped. You looked toward the floor, your feet suddenly becoming very interesting. Makkachin whined and pawed at your leg. He was good at reading you just like your brother was. “I know Makkachin, I know.”

“Is something wrong?” Yuri asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing really. Talk of the news and publicity just makes me anxious. I pretty much only get bad press nowadays.” You said honestly. “But it’s alright! Really… I umm… Yuri, would you mind showing me to your skating rink? I like to practice to relax.”

“Oh of course!”

《\/》/\《\/》

The team stayed late because they were playing a three on three game that went on much longer than expected. Sugawara was tired out from it, but the game was finally done. The first years were cleaning up the gym and he was hydrating with the other third years. He pulled out his phone and was shocked by what his ice skating discord group chat was discussing. “TAKEDA! VIKTOR AND Y/N ARE IN JAPAN!”

The literature teacher looked at the setter with shock in his eyes. “WHAT?!”

“IT’S ALL OVER MY DISCORD SERVER. VIKTOR IS TAKING THE SEASON OFF TO COACH Y/N AND A JAPANESE SKATER NAMED YURI KATSUKI. THEY  _ LIVE _ IN JAPAN NOW!”

“OH MY GOD DO YOU THINK WE COULD MEET THEM?! ANOTHER PART OF JAPAN IS MUCH CLOSER THAN RUSSIA!”

“WOULD YOU TWO STOP SHOUTING!” Daichi, ironically, shouted. 

The two fanboys apologized and started using their inside voices. “I dunno maybe we can. You never know.”

《\/》/\《\/》

Sugawara couldn’t help, but sulk. In the weeks since it was announced that y/n and Viktor were in Japan, a lot had happened. y/n’s boyfriend followed the siblings and now there was a competition called hot springs on ice to determine y/n and Viktor’s fate. If Yuri Katsuki won then Viktor and y/n would stay in Japan and Viktor would coach his sibling and the Japanese skater. If Yuri Plisetsky won, the Nikiforov siblings would be forced to go back to Russia and continue training under Yakov. Suga wanted to go to hot springs on ice so badly, but he didn’t manage to get a ticket. Tadeka did, and promised he would take all the pictures and videos he could. He also promised to get y/n’s autograph if he happened to see her, but this didn’t help lift Suga’s mood. What chance did he have to meet you if you went back to Russia? Almost none at all. He would give anything for one conversation with you. He just wanted to talk to you, to hear your voice and see you skate in person, but it seemed that that chance was going to be ripped away from him.

《\/》/\《\/》 

Unlike Yuri Katsuki, your boyfriend never said out loud was his agape was. Viktor did make a few jabs at him, saying it should be you, his girlfriend, but you doubted that it was. You watched the Russian Punk skate his part of the competition and he did well, but he did what he always did. He focused more on the technical side than showing emotion. 

He said nothing to you as you watch Yuri Katsuki perform side by side. You almost instinctively grab for his hand, but you catch yourself in time. Both of you are completely captivated by Yuri Katsuki’s performance and before he was even completely finished with his set you both knew that he had won. Your boyfriend scoffed and grabbed his bag. You ripped your eyes away from the ice and followed quickly after him. When you reached the outside front steps of the skating rink he turned back and glared at you. “What are you following me for? I know you’re not coming back to Russia with me.”

“I was worried about you, you seem-”

“Oi cut the crap already! You know as much as I do you’d follow Viktor to the ends of the Earth before you’d ever follow me! We make better enemies on the ice than we do lovers, so why don’t you go back inside to your stupid brother and leave me alone!”

“Yuri-”

“Shut it! We’re done y/n!”

Those words. You knew that they were probably coming at some point. You knew that it could happen at any time, but they hurt. It hurt like someone stabbing you in the heart with a knife. Yuri didn’t wait for you to say anything, he just turned away from you and started walking toward the train station. You could feel tears coming to your waterline. What were you going to do now?

“y/n…?” A voice called softly from behind you. It was Yuuko. You had come to like her a lot in the weeks that you had been training and hanging out at the skating rink, but now was not the time. You wiped your eyes before turning to face her. She had a sad expression written in her features. 

“You heard all that huh?”

“Yeah… I’m so sorry. He was really harsh about it.”

“It… It’s alright. I’m not really surprised. I think I’m just going to head home now. You can tell Viktor and Yuri if either of them come looking for me.”

“... Alright. Is there anything I can do?”

You shook your head. You turned away from her and started walking the opposite direction from the one Yuri had gone. It was really over. Yuri was going back to Russia and you were single for the first time in years. Your chest felt heavy as you made your way back to the inn. You let the tears fall, pulling the hood of the jacket you had been wearing up to hide your face from any passersby. You just wanted to curl up into a ball in a dark corner and never move again.

It was much later now and Viktor was getting worried. Yuri Plisetsky had left hours ago and he couldn’t find you anywhere. He was starting to question if you decided to go back to Russia. You weren’t answering his calls or texts, something was definitely wrong. “Any luck?” He asked Yuri as the younger man came running over. 

He shook his head. “I can’t find her anywhere.”

“Viktor! Yuri!” Yuuko shouted. She was out of breath when she reached the pair, but she relayed the message she was given. “y/n told me to tell you she was heading back to the inn. Yuri broke up with her before he headed back to Russia. I saw everything on accident. They were on the steps outside and Yuri yelled at her before saying they were finished. She seemed pretty upset. Sorry, I didn’t tell you sooner, I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys.”

Viktor’s expression was one of deep concern. Yuri could see it clearly. Sometimes he found it hard to read his idol’s face, but this was not one of those times. “I’m going to head back to the inn to check on her.”

He got a small chorus of “okay”s as he left. His pace going from a moderate walk to a full out run by the time he was on the sidewalk. He was worried sick. He knew that you were sensitive and a little insecure and he did not want you to let this get to you. “Have you seen my sister?” He asked Yuri’s dad as he opened the front door of the inn.

“Not recently. She came through here a few hours ago. She seemed pretty upset and went straight to her room. I haven’t seen her since.” Viktor gave him a quick thank you before heading toward your room. When he got to the door he tried to pull it open, but it was locked. 

“Go away Viktor.” 

He raised his eyebrow. “How did you know it was me?”

“Who else would it be?”

“If you’re not going to let me in, do you at least have Makkachin with you?”

“Yeah, he’s here.”

Viktor could hear the pain in your voice. It honestly broke his heart. “I’ll be right down the hall in my room if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

《\/》/\《\/》 

Your sulking when on for days. Viktor didn’t even see you until day five, when you came crying to him (and accidentally Yuri since he was in Viktor’s room chatting about free skate plans) because the media had caught wind of your break up. 

There were reporters outside the in for days, hoping to talk to you like some reporters in Russia had talked to your ex-boyfriend. The interview shattered your heart even further, Yuri seemed like his usual self and had nothing particularly good to say about you.

Even so, by day 15, Viktor was tired of your sulky attitude. You were eating or sleeping regularly and you certainly weren’t practicing. He had a bit of a plan to get you moving again. He got you up at a reasonable hour and made you get dressed. He helped you pick out an outfit you’d feel good in and told you to meet him downstairs when you were ready. You tried to protest, but he wasn’t having it. You sighed as you pulled on the outfit and looked at yourself in the mirror. You thought you looked good, though no matter how much you tried you just couldn’t hide how tired your eyes looked.

You found Viktor with the others in the sitting room, he got up when he saw you. He gave you a bright smile and walked with you toward the door. What happened next was a bit of a surprise to you though. He handed you so money and said, “You’re not allowed back in until you have some fun so go find something to do!” before shutting the door in your face. You couldn’t believe it your ass of an older brother just kicked you out of the inn!

For a few minutes, you banged on the front door, but after you realized there was no hope of getting anyone to answer you decided to head to the train station. You had already explored most of Hasetsu, so you thought it would be fun to explore some of the neighboring towns. You hopped on the train and picked a window seat. You listened to music in your headphones as you watch the world fly by. You weren’t entirely sure how long you had been on the train when you finally decided the town you were in was a good place to get off, but it didn’t really matter to you. It was a small town for sure, but it was beautiful. There were tons of rolling hills and what appeared to be a little shopping street off in the distance. You walked towards it through the hills, still letting your music blare in your headphones. There wasn’t much you were sure of at this point in time, but you were sure of two things. That you were hungry and that you were more at peace now than you had been at any other time in the last two weeks. 

When you reached the small town area, you noticed a convenience store. You could pick up a little snack and then continue on your walk. You left your headphone in, but smiled at the clerk as you walked in. He gave a short nod in return. He was busy reading over some papers. They looked like sports-related notes, but you couldn’t tell what sport. Your thoughts about the notes were stopped when you lifted your head up and made eye contact with a group of boys that had been talking and laughing in the corner of the store. Most of the boys were looking at one of their friends with confused looks, but the one they were looking as staring at you. His expression was somewhere between awe, excitement, and terror. His hazel brown eyes bore into your own. “Umm… Hi?” You said cautiously. Your words seemed to send a chill up his spine. 

He bowed after taking a few steps toward you. “I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable! My name is Sugawara Koshi and I am umm… Your biggest fan y/n!”

You gasped. This handsome boy… was a fan of you? “It’s nice to meet you Koshi.”

His cheeks blushed pink and his friends snickered. “What are you doing all the way here? Don’t you live in a seaside town?”

“Oh yeah, I do! But ahh… I’ve been so mopey since Yuri broke up with me that my brother kicked me out of the inn and said I couldn’t come back until I had fun. I’ve looked all around Hasetsu so I decided to catch a train and see where it would take me. I guess I road it pretty far based on your reaction.”

Your voice made his heart melt. “Ah… Yeah. You did. Hasetsu is about a two-hour train ride from here.”

“Oh oops! I didn’t mean to go that far, but I’m glad I did! I wouldn’t have met you if I didn’t.” His face is bright red now. You find it adorable.

“This is pretty bold of me to ask, so it’s okay if you say no, but my friends and I were going to go play a three on three game of volleyball if you want to come hang out with us?” You look past Sugawara to see his friends, all waving at you. A short guy with orange hair, a slightly taller guy with a shaved head, another short guy with a blond streak, a tall guy with black hair, and a guy with short, dark brown hair. Normally you would have said no to this sort of thing without your brother around, but today you were feeling adventurous.

“That sounds nice.” Your soft smile almost made Suga’s heart explode.

You didn’t arrive home until almost 11 pm that night. The game had gone on much longer than you were expecting, but you didn’t mind. You learned all the boys’ names were Hinata, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Kageyama, Daichi, and of course, Suga who had invited you. You enjoyed talking with them all and watching them play on a makeshift court they set up at a local park. You only realized it was late when the game finished and it was completely dark outside Daichi and Suga offered to walk you back to the train station, which you happily accepted. You hadn’t felt a genuine connection like this in you weren’t sure how long. They waved goodbye to you as your train took off and you texted Viktor to let him know that you were on the way back. The whole ride home you were texting your new-found volleyball boys.

When you arrived back to the inn, Yuri and Viktor were waiting up for you. They were both surprised and happy to see a big grin plastered on your face. “So did you have fun today Marshmellow?”

“Yes! I took the train to a few towns over and I made some friends.”

“That’s wonderful! I know you just met them today, but when you are ready you should invite them to the inn for a weekend. I would love to meet them.”

《\/》/\《\/》 

Your determination to skate became unstoppable. You trained hard and you practiced even harder. When you weren’t practicing or doing runs with Yuri, you were either on a call with the Karasuno boys, as you had come to call them, texting with them, or visiting them. Eventually, you got the courage to ask them to come to spend the weekend at the inn after being friends for a little while, and the whole team ended up deciding to come. You were both excited and nervous about it, but you knew that it would be fun. “y/nnnnn-channnnn!” A voice called from the front entrance. You were tackled by Nishinoya seconds later. 

“Hello to you too, Noya.” The rest of the boys filed in and you introduced them all to Viktor and Yuri. Yuri gave them all a kind smile, while Viktor seemed to be watching them all rather intensely. “It’s still early after you put your stuff down, do you guys want to go down to the rink? I can teach you how to skate if you don’t know.” The boys all talked at once so you couldn’t really understand them, but it generally sounded happy so you assumed it was a yes. “Great! I’ll go grab my skate bag.” Viktor watched you leave the room, but he soon noticed someone else watching you too. A boy with gray hair and a kind smile on his face was watching the spot where you had just been intensely. Viktor remembered that his name was Suga from a picture you showed him of the team. It was a name you had said several times in the past few weeks. He seemed to be your best friend. “You’re Suga right?” Viktor asked.

Suga flushed a bit and nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“I just wanted to say thank you.”

Suga raised his eyebrow at Viktor. “For what?”

“Pulling y/n out of her funk. She was really depressed about her and Yuri’s break up, but ever since you two started talking she’s been as bright as ever. Keen on practicing too.”

“Oh! It’s no problem really. I’ve enjoyed being her friend.”

“Hey, guys! Ready to go?” You asked as you came back into the room.

“Hell yeah!”Nishinoya shouted. You laughed and started to lead them toward the ice rink. 

《\/》/\《\/》

After only being at the rink for a few minutes, you and the team had caused complete chaos. Hinata and Kageyama were racing back and forth to see who could go from one end to the other the fastest, Nishinoya was sitting on Asahi’s shoulders as he skated gracefully around the ice, Tadashi was trying to teach Tsukishima how to skate, Daichi was apologizing profusely to Yuuko and Takeshi, and Tanaka was messing around with the walkers that help children stay up while skating. You were honestly enjoying it. The ice normally somewhere for working, it was nice to come here and have fun. You realize Suga was the only one not on the ice, he was leaning against one of the rink’s walls with his elbows propping up his head. He looked really cute watching his teammates goofy off. You skated over to him, startling him a bit. “Why aren’t you on the ice?”

“Oh… Though I’ve always been a fan of competitive skating, I never learned to skate myself.”

“Do you want to join me? I can be your guide.” He nodded and gave you one of his classic soft smiles before running to grab some skates. He put them on quickly and you met him at the entrance to the rink. You wrapped your arm around his waist and he wrapped his arm around your back. You were both blushing intensely. “Okay, this should help us balance. You’re going to want to move your feet like this.” You showed him how to move and he quickly got the hang of it. 

“I think I got this!” He let go of your back and you let go of him. He quickly grabbed your hand. “... You know, for balance.” Your blush became deeper. His smile was calming though. You made a couple of laps around the rink before Tanaka, accidentally, put you in an awkward situation. 

He knocked into Suga with his walker and it caused the gray-haired boy to lose his balance. Seeing as you were holding hands, he pulled you down with him. You managed to catch yourself, but you found your position to be less than ideal. You were hovering over Suga’s face. His cheeks were bright red. You got off of him as soon as you realized what was happening. “I’m so sorry Suga!”

He laughed, “Don’t apologize! That was Tanaka’s fault!”

“True.”

“Hey! Don’t you love bird go blaming shit on me!”

You all skated until you could skate no more. You all were now huddled in the main space of the inn, watching a movie together on the tv. It was half-past midnight. Yuri’s parents, Yuri, and Viktor had all gone to bed a while ago. Half the team was asleep in the piles of blankets on the floor. You felt like you were soon going to join them. Your eyes were getting heavy, and you could barely keep them open. Suga was sat next to you, still fully awake and engrossed in the movie. He had no idea how tired you were until he felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked over to see you fast asleep. He knew he couldn’t wake you up, so he laid down as slowly as he could, shifting your weight with his. He fell fast asleep, your head still resting on his shoulder. 

《\/》/\《\/》

“Hey guys,” Kageyama called loudly. The group all stirred awake at the sound. 

“What the hell, Kageyama, it’s so early!” Hinata complained.

“Shut it loser! We have a problem.”

That’s when you noticed Yuuko and her three girls standing in front of you all. They were specifically looking at you and Suga guiltily. “I’m so sorry y/n! The girls took pictures while you guys were at the skating rink yesterday, and they posted some of them. They are blowing up!”

You looked at her, confused as she handed you her phone. “What could be the big dea- OH GOD.”

They weren’t just pictures of you and the team having fun; they were specifically pictures of you and Suga. One of you leaning over the rink wall to talk to him, one of you holding him up with your hand around his waist, one of you two holding hands, and worst of all, one of you leaning over him when you fell. You felt all the peace drain from your body at that moment. “The skating Otakus are so happy for you, y/n!” one of the girls said. 

“Love Again for the Gold Medalist: Does y/n Nikiforov have a boyfriend? Pictures released from inside of Ice Castle Hasetsu show y/n Nikiforov, skating with a gray-haired male. She appears to be teaching him how to skate. There are other people in the pictures, but no one is sure who they are. Could the young world champion have made friends off the ice? Is the gray-haired boy in the pictures her new boyfriend? It appears so, but we won’t know for sure until we hear from her,” your words became shakier as you read farther into the article. You didn’t want to be mad at the girls because they are just kids after all, but it was so hard. You hated the publicity that came with skating, and this was publicity that you didn’t need right now. The season was getting ready to start. “I um… I need some fresh air.” You scrambled up from your seat on the floor and ran out the door. Suga quickly got up and followed after you. 

“y/n! y/n wait!” He called. You stopped running when you were a little ways from the inn and you realized that he wasn’t going to let you be by yourself right now. “I know that this is a lot, but you don’t have to address the public right now… how about we dress address us?”

You gave him a confused look, “what do you mean, Suga?”

He took your hands in his and pulled them against his chest. You could feel his heart beating rapidly. “Before we met y/n, I admired you so much. Your ability to skate, your heart, and your charm. I guess you could say you were my celebrity crush, but… since getting to know you, those feelings have developed into much more. You can say no or that you don’t feel the same way or that you’re not ready since you’ve only been single for a few months. I’ll stay by your side as a friend if you prefer, but if you give me a chance, I’d love to take you on a date. We could-”

You cut Suga off by grabbing the material of his T-shirt and pulling him in for a sweet kiss. You honestly surprised yourself, but it wasn’t long before Suga moved his arms around your waist and kissed you back. When you pulled away you smiled at each other. Completely at peace, even if it were just for this moment, holding each other under the branches of cherry blossom trees. 


End file.
